Spitsbergen - Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis

Spitsbergen Cruises

Starting from $6,550

From the spectacular west coast of Spitsbergen, voyage across to Greenland for an exploration of fjords, geological formations and tundra. Visit rings of stones that outlined summer houses of Inuits. Experience the unique houses of Thule made from the vertebrae of whales. Look for Musk oxen, geese, Arctic fox, seals, whales and Polar bears, and delight in the Northern Lights while cruising to Iceland.

Starting from $6,550

Rates & Dates Prices are per person and shown in USD.

Itinerary

Day 1: Embarkation in Longyearbyen
Arrive in Longyearbyen, on Spitsbergen, the administrative capital of the Spitsbergen archipelago of which West Spitsbergen is the largest island. Before embarking there is an opportunity to visit this former mining village. The Parish Church and the Polar Museum are well worth visiting. In the early evening the ship will sail out of Isfjorden.

Day 2: Raudfjord
We sail into Raudfjord on the north coast of West Spitsbergen, a beautiful fjord with spectacular glaciers. It is home to Ringed and Bearded Seal, seabird colonies and a surprisingly rich vegetation. We have good chances to see Polar Bear, for instance near Hamilton Glacier, or more to the head of the fjord. From there we continue to Moffen Island on which Walrus haul out.

Days 3-4: At Sea
At sea, on our way to Greenland, we may see the edge of the East Greenland sea-ice. We keep watch for whales, and also for migrating seabirds.

DAY 5: Myggebugten
Approaching Greenland we will attempt to sail through the sea ice into Foster Bugt, making our first landing at Myggebugten. Beyond the old hunters’ hut (in the first half of last century Norwegian trappers hunted here for Polar Bear and Arctic Fox) there is an extensive tundra populated by Musk Oxen. The small lakes are home to geese. We sail through Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord, a magnificent fjord with towering mountains on both sides, its inner reaches choked with huge icebergs. An alternative is Sofia Sund, which is much narrower, and where we can see Musk Oxen from the ship.

DAY 6: Blomster Bugt
We will land at Blomster Bugt to view the beautiful geological formations. Arctic Hare are usually seen here, and there is a lake with Great Northern Diver and their young. In the afternoon we sail along Teufelschloss and Ella Ø and may land at a beautiful spot in the early evening.

DAY 7: Antarcticahavn
The first half of the day we spend in Antarcticahavn, a wide and extensive valley where we also could see groups of Musk Oxen. At this time of year the autumnal colours of the sparse vegetation make the landscapes even more beautiful.

DAY 8: Scoresby Sund
Today we reach the Scoresby Sund and sail in the morning along the ragged and glaciated Volquart Boons Kyst. Here we may organise a zodiac cruise along one of the glacier fronts of this coast, and have our first landing near for instance Måne Glacier.

Later we land on Danmark,Ø where we find the remains of an Inuit settlement abandoned around 200 years ago. The circular ‘tent rings’ of stones indicate the summer houses, while the winter houses can be seen closer to a small cape. The sites are well preserved, allowing entrances and even bear-proof meat caches to be identified. There are also grave sites. In the evening we continue our sailing through the beautiful fjords to the west, choked with icebergs.

DAY 9: Cape Hofmann Halvo
We go ashore at Cape Hofmann Halvø, a reliable spot for viewing Musk Oxen. We may also spot Rock Ptarmigan and Great Northern Diver at sea. The landscape here is particularly beautiful, especially during autumn when the Dwarf Willow and Dwarf Birch change colour. Arctic Blueberry and Crowberry add their own colourful touch - the berries are tasty too! In the evening we sail through the fjord towards Scoresby Land, enjoying the contrast between the warm autumnal colours of the vegetation on shore, backed by huge dark mountains, and the cold blue of the icebergs.

DAY 10: Northwest Fjord in Scoresby
In Northwest fjord in Scoresby Land in the morning, we encounter huge icebergs, some over 100m high and more than a kilometre in length. Most of the bergs are grounded as the fjord is only about 400m deep here. We land near Sydkap to view the remains of the Thule culture winter houses. As many as 20 people lived in these tiny houses, hunting Greenland Whale and using their vertebrae to build the houses. We may also land at Gurreholm on Jameson Land. The landscape here is gently undulating.

DAY 11: Ittoqqortoormiut
In the morning we land at Ittoqqortoormiut, the biggest settlement in the Scoresby Sund with about 500 inhabitants. At the post office you can buy stamps for your postcards, or just wander around to see the sledge dogs and the drying skins of Seal, Musk Ox and Polar Bear. After dinner we will sail south passing the amazing landscape of the Blosseville Coast.

DAY 12: Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)
We will spend the whole day at sea and we will have splendid opportunities to see large whales and seabird migration and, in the night, the Aurora borealis (Northern Lights).

DAY 13: Arrival and Disembarkation in Akureyri
In the morning we arrive in Akureyri and are taken by a chartered bus during a 6 hours’ drive through North Iceland to our hotels in Reykjavik.

Included

All meals throughout the voyage aboard the ship including snacks, coffee and tea

All shore excursions and activities throughout the voyage by Zodiac

Program of lectures by noted naturalists and leadership by experienced expedition staff

Free use of rubber boots and snowshoes

Transfers and baggage handling between the airport, hotels and ship only for those passengers on the group flights to and from Longyearbyen

All miscellaneous service taxes and port charges throughout the program

AECO fees and governmental taxes

Comprehensive pre-departure material

Transfer supplement for bus shuttle between Reykjavik and Akureyri (ship), approximately 6 hours one way

$180 pp return

$100 pp one way

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the nature of expedition cruising, itineraries are subject to change due to weather, ice conditions, natural and cultural events, wildlife viewing opportunities and other logistical considerations. In general, a ship's crew will endeavor to complete the itinerary provided, but the ultimate decision lies with the ship's captain and expedition leaders.